11/10/2023 0 Comments Polar bear predators wikipedia![]() Polar bears are excellent swimmers and often will swim for days.Their hearing is about as acute as that of a human, and their vision is also good at long distances. Polar bears have an extremely well-developed sense of smell, being able to detect seals nearly 1.6 km (1 mi) away and buried under 1 m (3 ft) of snow.The bears can shake themselves dry after a swim. Their fur is also water-repellent and oily. A Polar bear's fur is hollow and reflects light, so it is not actually white.However, they are the only living marine mammals with powerful, large limbs and feet that allow them to cover kilometers on foot and run on land. Polar bears are marine mammals because they spend many months of the year at sea.Males usually reach reproductive maturity at 6 years however, as competition for females is fierce, many do not breed until the age of 8 or 10. Females begin to breed at the age of 4years in most areas, and 5 years in the area of the Beaufort Sea. The younf usually remain with their mother for 2 to 3 years. Then they begin the long walk from the denning area to the sea ice, where the mother can once again catch seals. For about 12 to 15 days, the family spends time outside the den while remaining in its vicinity the grazes on vegetation while the cubs become used to walking and playing. ![]() By the time the mother breaks open the entrance to the den, her cubs weigh about 10 to 15 kg (22 to 33 lb). The family remains in the den until mid-February to mid-April, nursing her cubs on fat-rich milk. Between November and February, cubs are born blind, covered with light down fur, and weighing less than 0.9 kg (2.0 lb). In the den, she enters a dormant state similar to hibernation. When the ice floes are at their minimum in the fall, ending the possibility of hunting, each pregnant female digs a maternity den consisting of a narrow entrance tunnel leading to one to three chambers. After mating, the fertilized egg remains in a suspended state until August or September. A male may follow the tracks of a breeding female for 100 km (60 mi) or more, and after finding her engage in intense fighting with other males over mating rights fights often result in scars and broken teeth. Courtship and mating take place on the sea ice in April and May, when they congregate in the best seal hunting areas. Polar bears are polygynous and do not form pairs. Chemical communication can also be important: bears leave behind their scent in their tracks which allows individuals to keep track of one another in the vast Arctic wilderness. When nervous, bears produce huffs, chuffs, and snorts while hisses, growls, and roars are signs of aggression. Females communicate with their young with moans and chuffs, and the distress calls of both cubs and subadults consist of bleats. Polar bears are usually quiet but do communicate with various sounds and vocalizations. The rest of the time is usually spent traveling, either walking or swimming, feeding or stalking prey. They are inactive for a good part of the time, lying, sleeping, or waiting (still hunting). Polar bears can dive underwater to catch their prey, keeping their eyes open while holding their breath for as much as 2 minutes. In such cases, the smaller bear usually runs away. They may come into competition with each other when there is the chance to scavenge when a seal is killed. It is sometimes referred to as the "nanook", based on the Inuit term nanuq. Historically, the Polar bear has also been known as the "white bear". For thousands of years, the Polar bear has been a key figure in the material, spiritual, and cultural life of circumpolar peoples, and these bears remain important in their cultures. ![]() Because of their dependence on sea ice, Polar bears are classified as marine mammals. Their scientific name means "maritime bear" and derives from this fact. Although most Polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time on the sea ice. Although it is the sister species of the Brown bear, it has evolved to occupy a narrower ecological niche, with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice, and open water, and for hunting seals, which make up most of its diet. It is the largest extant bear species, as well as the largest extant land carnivore. The Polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a hypercarnivorous bear found within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses.
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